There is no federal law that tells a carrier how to word a truck driver job ad. The rules come from states and cities, and they apply to the place where the driver will work. If you post CDL-A, linehaul, or pickup and delivery jobs, you may need to publish a pay range in every posting that reaches those places. If you drive for a living, these laws give you a reason to expect real numbers before you apply.
This guide covers which rules apply to trucking, how to write compliant pay language in driver terms (cents per mile, percentage, weekly range), what federal rules protect drivers, and how FedEx-contracted Service Providers can handle multi-state hiring.
TL;DR
- Pay transparency requirements are state and local. Colorado started in 2021, and other states have since added their own versions with different employer-size thresholds and penalties.
- Federal law does not dictate trucking ad wording, but it protects your right to discuss pay, and FMCSA truth-in-leasing rules govern pay disclosure for owner-operators.
- The state where the driver physically works usually controls, not the state where the company is based.
- A specific range such as cents per mile or a weekly window both satisfies most state laws and draws more driver interest than "competitive pay."
- Check each state's current text before posting. Thresholds, penalties, and effective dates change.
Table of Contents
- What pay transparency laws require
- How the laws apply to trucking jobs
- Federal rules that affect driver pay disclosure
- Penalties and enforcement
- A posting checklist for fleets and Service Providers
- What drivers can do with transparent pay
- Our perspective on pay transparency for FedEx-related driving
- Posting driver jobs with pay ranges on UCEP
- FAQ
- Sources
What pay transparency laws require
Pay transparency laws require employers to disclose compensation to applicants or employees. The most common form is a pay range in the job posting. Some states also require a description of benefits, and some extend the rule to promotions and internal transfers.
As of the research we reviewed, more than 15 states and several cities have enacted pay transparency legislation, including Colorado, California, New York, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, and Maine. Headcount thresholds run from one employee to 50, depending on the state. That count is a summary of a moving area, so confirm the current list with your state labor department before you rely on it.
A few examples show how much the details differ:
- Colorado: The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act covers any employer with at least one employee in Colorado, including out-of-state companies. Postings must include pay or a pay range and a general description of benefits. The same guide reports fines of $500 to $10,000 per violation.
- Maine: Employers with 10 or more employees must disclose pay ranges in postings, whether posted directly or through third parties.
- Massachusetts: The same compliance guide says the law applies to employers with 25 or more employees, and covers promotions and transfers as well as new jobs.
- New York: Coverage of the state law starts at four or more employees, and only base pay, as a salary or hourly wage, must appear in the listing, with other benefits handled separately.
Two patterns matter for trucking. First, many laws reach postings made by third parties, so a recruiter or job board listing is not a way around the rule. Second, the range generally has to be good faith: the amount you actually expect to pay, not an extreme low and high.
How the laws apply to trucking jobs
Trucking raises questions that office jobs do not. Drivers are paid in different ways, they cross state lines, and many roles are posted for a terminal rather than a home address.
Which state's law applies
A role must comply with the requirements of the state where the driver physically works, not just where your company is based. For a regional pickup and delivery route, that is straightforward: the terminal state governs. For linehaul and team driving that crosses several states, it is less clear. Some employers post to the strictest standard that touches the route. Others tie each posting to the driver's home terminal or domicile. Ask an employment attorney which approach fits your operation before you set a policy.
Colorado's law shows why this matters. It reaches employers outside the state if the job could be performed in Colorado, which is a broad test. If you hire drivers who start in Colorado or run lanes through it, review the Colorado guidance closely.
How to state pay for each driver type
Trucking pay does not always fit a single salary figure. Advertised annual numbers are weak because drivers rarely hit best-case figures. Use a normalized metric that matches how you actually pay:
| Role type | Common pay structure | Example of a clear posting line |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup and delivery | Hourly or daily rate | $24 to $28 per hour, overtime after 40 hours |
| CDL-A solo linehaul | Cents per mile or weekly range | $0.58 to $0.65 per mile, typical $1,400 to $1,800 per week |
| CDL-A team linehaul | Split cents per mile, per driver | Per-mile rate paid to each driver, with the team split stated |
| Owner-operator | Percentage of gross or per-mile | 30% of gross revenue, with deductions itemized |
The figures in the table are illustrations of format, not market rates or UCEP pricing. One source suggests a pay window with a weekly range accounts for lane fluctuations better than a single "up to" number, and it shows cents-per-mile ranges in its examples. Your own figures should come from your payroll, not from an example.
What a compliant range should include
- The base rate. Per hour, per mile, per load, or percentage of revenue, in the unit you really pay.
- The low and high ends. A genuine range, not a token one.
- Other pay, where the state requires it. Sign-on bonuses, safety bonuses, and per diem. Check whether your state wants these listed or only the base pay.
- A benefits description, if your state requires one, such as health coverage, paid time off, and retirement.
- Home time and equipment. Not required by pay transparency laws, but drivers weigh them against the rate, and one posting guide recommends leading with pay, exact home time, and equipment details.
If a state allows a link to a public pay scale and benefits page, that is a reliable way to satisfy disclosure rules in strict jurisdictions. Confirm that the state you post in accepts it before relying on it.
Federal rules that affect driver pay disclosure
No federal pay transparency statute sets trucking ad language. Several federal protections still matter.
Your right to discuss pay
The National Labor Relations Act protects the right of most private-sector employees to discuss their pay with coworkers without retaliation. Federal contractors are also covered by Executive Order 11246 provisions on discussing, disclosing, or asking about compensation. The Department of Labor explains both on its page about asking about, discussing, or disclosing pay. A policy that bans drivers from comparing pay with each other is a legal risk for the employer.
Truth-in-leasing for owner-operators
The FMCSA's truth-in-leasing rules at 49 CFR Part 376 cover owner-operators. Carriers must itemize deductions and specify compensation in the contract before the trip begins. Drivers also have a right to see the freight bill for a load they haul, so they can check that the revenue reported to them matches what the shipper paid.
If you are an owner-operator, ask for the settlement statement format before you sign. If a carrier will not show you how settlements are calculated, treat that as a warning.
Pay history and record keeping
Many state laws also ban asking applicants about prior salary. The EEOC advises employers to document the criteria behind pay decisions, such as experience and qualifications, instead of relying on pay history. It also notes record retention rules: payroll records for at least three years, and records that explain wage differences for two years. A clear internal pay scale for each driver role makes both your posting and your defense simpler.
Penalties and enforcement
Penalties depend on the state. One tracker reports that they range from written warnings for first offenses to civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation in Massachusetts. Maryland's reported range is $300 to $1,000. Colorado, as noted above, reports fines per violation. A single posting reused across many job boards can create several violations, so one fix at the source is worth more than patching copies.
Beyond fines, vague pay ads cost applicants. Recruiters report that "competitive pay" drives applicant abandonment, and that postings with specific pay structures get 30 to 50% more applications. Treat those as recruiter-reported figures, not guaranteed results.
A posting checklist for fleets and Service Providers
Use this list before you publish any driver listing:
- Identify the state, and city if relevant, where the driver will physically work.
- Check that state's employer-size threshold and whether you are covered.
- Write the pay range in the unit you pay: hourly, CPM, percentage, or weekly.
- Add bonuses and benefits where the state requires them.
- Make sure every copy of the posting, including those on third-party boards, shows the same range.
- Keep a record of the range, the date posted, and the pay scale behind it.
- Match the range to what current drivers in the same role actually earn.
- Recheck at least once a year, since laws change.
Also keep job titles searchable. A title with the role and rate, such as a CDL-A OTR dry van title with a CPM figure, is clear to drivers and is easy to audit.
Equipment and inspection expectations belong in the posting too, because drivers weigh what the carrier provides against what they pay for. If your drivers or owner-operators handle their own lighting and inspection readiness, a reference like this DOT lighting checklist for fleets helps set expectations about maintenance responsibilities.
What drivers can do with transparent pay
If you are searching for a job, the laws and good practice work in your favor.
- Compare like with like. Convert every offer to a weekly figure using the same miles or hours.
- Look for the range and its basis. A range with a stated unit is more useful than a single top-end number.
- Ask what is not in the range. Deductions, fuel, and equipment costs affect take-home pay, especially for owner-operators.
- Ask for the settlement format. Request a sample of how pay is itemized.
- Note endorsements. HazMat and tanker drivers earn roughly 20 to 30% more than drivers without those endorsements, according to one hiring guide, so check if the posted range reflects yours.
- Report problems. If a posting in a covered state shows no range, contact the state labor agency.
You can also talk to current drivers about what they earn. Federal law protects that conversation for most private-sector employees.
Our perspective on pay transparency for FedEx-related driving
We built UCEP for one narrow market: Service Providers contracted with FedEx and the drivers who work with them. That focus shapes how we see this topic.
Service Providers hire for a small set of roles: pickup and delivery, CDL-A solo linehaul, and CDL-A team linehaul. Each has a pay structure that can be written down clearly. That makes compliance easier than in a market where every role is different. A Service Provider that publishes a range for each role, in the unit it actually pays, meets the intent of the state laws and gives drivers what they ask for.
We also think drivers are served best by comparing like roles. That is why our job listings are organized by role type, and why our platform includes employer and terminal directories and internal reviews from drivers and Service Providers. A driver can see where a terminal is, who runs it, and what others say about it, alongside the posted pay.
Our advice to Service Providers is simple. Do not wait for a state to require it. Pick a range you can defend from your payroll, post it everywhere, and keep it current. Our advice to drivers is equally plain: ask for numbers, and give more weight to the listings that provide them.
— Aaron
Posting driver jobs with pay ranges on UCEP
If you are a Service Provider hiring for FedEx-related roles, you can list jobs on UCEP and manage applicants in one place. The platform includes a built-in applicant tracking system, targeted driver alerts, and company profile management. The Standard Monthly Plan costs $99 per month, and new recruiters can start with a complimentary trial listing. See the options on the pricing page.
If you are a driver, browse current pickup and delivery, CDL-A solo, and CDL-A team linehaul openings and filter by role.
FAQ
Is there a federal pay transparency law for trucking?
No. The federal rules that matter are protections for discussing pay under the NLRA, nondiscrimination rules for federal contractors, and FMCSA truth-in-leasing rules for owner-operators. The requirement to post a pay range comes from state and local law.
Do I need a pay range if my company is based in a state without a law?
Possibly. The law of the state where the driver works generally controls, not the state where your company is based. If you hire drivers in a covered state, check that state's threshold and rules.
Can a carrier stop drivers from discussing their pay?
For most private-sector employees, no. The National Labor Relations Act protects the right to discuss pay with coworkers without retaliation. If you believe you were disciplined for it, contact the NLRB or an employment attorney.
What should a trucking pay range look like?
It should use the unit you pay in, such as cents per mile, percentage of gross, hourly rate, or a weekly window. It should show a low and a high end that reflect real pay. Add bonuses and benefits if your state requires them.
Sources
- US State Employment Law Guide
- Pay Transparency Laws by State: Employer Compliance Guide
- Colorado Pay Transparency Law: Employer Guide
- How New York Employers Navigate Pay Transparency Laws
- Truck Driver Job Posting: Write One That Converts
- Hiring Your First Driver as an Owner Operator
- U.S. Department of Labor: Asking About, Discussing, or Disclosing Pay
- Complete Guide to Driver Settlements
- Truck Driver Employment Contract: What to Include
- EEOC: Pay Tips for Small Business
- How to Hire a CDL Truck Driver